Eyes Without a Face
by Cristinethegoodwitch
Summary: In tandem with All Hell Breaks Loose – Part 1. Sam has been kidnapped by the Demon and Dean is forced to search for him before it’s too late. Dean, Jo
1. Ch 1: An eye on the road and a hand

**Title: **Eyes Without a Face

**Author:** Neuroticris

**Fandom/Pairing: **Supernatural, Dean/Jo

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural_ or any of its characters.

**Summary: **In tandem with _All Hell Breaks Loose – Part 1_. Sam has been kidnapped by the Demon and Dean is forced to search for him before it's too late.

**Author's Note: **Not everything from the episode has happened. Things are out of sequence. The title is from Billy Idol's song of the same name.

**Chapter 1: An eye on the road and a hand on the wheel**

Jo's eyes felt heavy, like lead weights were pulling them down. She felt the car slowly drifting to the side of the road and she jerked herself awake. She had been driving for the past four hours and fatigue was starting to settle in, making her sluggish and drowsy. Shaking herself awake, she opened up the car window hoping that the cold blast of air would keep her from drifting off. She turned the volume up on her tape deck and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. As Stephen Tyler sang about sweet emotion, Jo's eyes drifted to the seat beside her where her cell phone currently sat. She picked it up and checked the screen. There were no missed calls.

She took a deep breath as her mind thought back to the last eight calls she made, all of it to the same two numbers.

Unable to help herself, she picked up her phone again and hit speed dial. She heard the call connect and the line began to ring.

"Damn it!" She cursed as her call went unanswered. She gave up after the tenth ring, flipping the phone shut. "Where are you?" She muttered.

Jo had been waiting tables at a diner just outside of Boulder, Colorado. On a whim, she decided to call Ash to check on her mother. She hadn't spoken to either one of them since the incident in Duluth, deciding that moving would be her best option but she had refused to go back to the Roadhouse, choosing instead to stay on her own. She wasn't ready to face her mother yet. She didn't think she could do it without breaking down.

Her call went unanswered, which wasn't surprising since it had been nine in the morning and Ash typically slept until one in the afternoon. She wouldn't have thought anything of it until she got off her shift and checked her messages. She had only one and it was from Ash. He said that he needed to talk to her and that it was important. Jo wasn't sure what to think. Ash was never one to exaggerate. Jo returned his call, but it went unanswered. She tried calling the Roadhouse as well but all she got was a busy signal. The same went for the next six times she called.

That was how she found herself driving through the interstate highway on her way back to Nebraska. It wasn't like Ash not to answer his phone.

Jo didn't want to worry but as it stood, things just weren't adding up and she couldn't get rid of the feeling in her gut that something was wrong.

She glanced at her phone again thinking that there might be two other people she should call, but she dismissed that thought as soon as it popped into her mind. This was her problem and she'll be damned if she involved either Winchester in it.

After Dean had left her in Duluth, Jo decided that she needed a fresh start. So, she quit her job, changed her cell number, packed up her things, and high-tailed it out of there. For a couple of months, she drifted, moving from state to state, staying in motel rooms until she finally ran out of money. She ended up in Colorado, where she luckily found a want ad in a diner window for a waitress. She thought that putting as much distance between her and the Winchesters would be for the best. She knew that Dean was never going to call her and she wasn't sure that she really wanted to hear from Sam. She accepted the fact that he had been possessed when he had attacked her, but she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with him yet.

She checked the time on her watch and noted that it was getting pretty late. She was sure that she wasn't going to make it back to work for the following morning but she couldn't be bothered to call her boss. She had bigger things to worry about other than being fired from her job.

Jo blinked and tried to concentrate on the road. By the time she turned onto the familiar country road that feeling of anxiety had turned into all out panic.

She gripped the steering wheel hard, making her knuckles turn white. Her eyes scanned the dark road ahead of her, noting the missing lights. She knew that by this time of night, the Roadhouse should be busy, packed with weary hunters and passing truckers. She slowed the car as she approached the lot where the Roadhouse should be. She gasped when her headlights shone over what remained of her childhood home and her mother's livelihood. Jo grabbed her gun and Maglite out of the glove compartment and was out of the truck before she had even put it into park. She approached the charred remains of the Roadhouse, shining her flashlight over the rubble. She swallowed the fear and panic down choosing instead to concentrate on looking for her mother and Ash.

Her hands shook as she stepped over the burnt out pieces of her childhood memories. The acrid smell of smoke and soot stung her nose, making her sick to her stomach. Her mind flashed to her mother and it almost knocked her down to her knees. With grim determination, she held her flashlight steady as she turned over planks of wood looking for her loved ones. Tears coursed down her cheeks unexpectedly and Jo was too angry to control them. She didn't understand why anyone would do this. Did it have anything to do with what Ash wanted to tell her?

Alone in the dark, Jo continued to sort through the rubble, until the light from her Maglite caught something in the dim light. She approached it carefully, holding her gun in one hand while the other held the light. As she got closer she could see that it was a watch, and that watch was attached to a blackened arm. Jo paused because she knew that watch and who that watch belonged to. She kicked off the plank of wood that was blocking the person who owned the arm and she dropped to her knees when she saw the charred remains of her good friend.

"Ash, you stupid son of a bitch," she swore, wiping the tears off her cheeks, leaving trails of soot and ash on her face. She shook her head and said a silent prayer before replacing the plank of wood back over him.

She stumbled out of the ruins towards her car, where she broke down into heaving sobs.

She blindly fumbled for her phone and called the only other person she knew who could help.

Dean watched the road grimly. His lips pressed into a straight line. He and Bobby had just come from the Roadhouse, or what was left of the Roadhouse, seeing as it was only burnt wood and rubble. They'd found Ash but Ellen was nowhere to be seen. Sam was still missing and he had no clue where to look for his little brother.

"I think we should speak to Duke," Bobby advised, breaking the tense silence in the car.

"What?" Dean asked, his mind too busy worrying over his brother.

"I said, we should go speak to Duke," Bobby repeated. "He's a psychic who lives not too far from here. He might be able to provide some help."

"Sure, Bobby," Dean said, dismissively. He didn't care what they did or who they talked to as long as it led him to Sam.

"Is that your phone?" Bobby asked, distracting Dean out of his thoughts.

Dean shook his head and finally became aware of the distinct tone of an old AC/DC tune. He dug his phone out of his shirt pocket and flipped it open, pressing it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Dean?"_ He heard a tinny, female voice ask on the other end.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"_It's Jo."_

Only two words and Dean felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

"Jo," he whispered, his mind flashing to the burnt out Roadhouse.

"_Where are you?"_ She asked and he could hear a slight warble in her voice.

"I'm on highway 83, just outside of Thedford," he replied.

"_Meet me at the diner just outside exit 55."_ Before he could ask why, Jo had hung up.

Bobby looked over at him. "Why didn't you tell her about the Roadhouse and her momma?"

"Because," Dean ran a tired hand down his face. "I think she already knows."

Dean sat at the chipped Formica table clutching his second mug of coffee. His eyes stared at the murky surface of his drink as his mind worried about his brother…and now Jo. He knew that they were wasting precious time sitting there waiting but he felt like he owed her. For the third time in her young life, Jo had been screwed by a Winchester. He didn't understand what it was about his family and the Harvelles that just left both families' lives in the shitter. For better of for worse they were interconnected, something that neither Dean, nor Sam, nor Jo would ever understand.

Bobby sauntered over and sat down in front of Dean.

"What'd he say?" Dean asked, his eyes boring into Bobby's.

"Duke said that he'll try," Bobby replied. "He said that he's been feeling all sorts of creepy lately and he knew that something big was happening." Bobby paused and took a sip of his coffee.

"But he can help us right?" Dean asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

Bobby nodded. "I'm pretty sure. I mean either that or we drive all the way to Kansas to see Missouri."

Dean pressed his lips together until they were thin white lines. He'd almost forgotten about Missouri, his dad's psychic friend. He knew that she was a lot closer to their fight than anyone else. She also knew more about their history, thanks to his dad. Perhaps his dad had also told her about Sam.

A flash of headlights caught Dean's eye, causing him to look out into the parking lot. An old grey pickup truck pulled into the lot but it was too dark to see the driver. Dean looked down to check his watch and wondered what could be taking Jo so long. The bell above the door dinged, catching Dean's attention. He looked up and saw Jo walking towards them, looking like the victim of a war. Her clothes were covered in soot and dirt, her long, blonde hair hung limply around her shoulders. Her face was covered in grime and two distinct tear tracks stained her cheeks.

Dean stood up to help her into the booth but she shrugged it off. He looked over at Bobby who was looking at Jo with pity and sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jo," Dean apologized, but before he could go on any further their waitress came along and interrupted.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, hon?" She asked, looking directly at Jo.

"Yes, thank you," Jo replied her voice hushed.

Dean waited until the waitress left their table before looking carefully at Jo. He noted that she kept her gaze fixated on the chipped surface of their table..

"Who could have done this?" She asked, her expression hardened.

Dean took a deep breath. "I'm not sure, but I think I have a pretty good idea who it was."

Jo blinked as if she was coming out of a trance and looked around. "Where's Sam?"

Dean looked like he wanted to cry. "I don't know. One minute he was getting food for us, the next he was gone and everyone was dead."

Dean saw the flash of fear in Jo's eyes and he understood what it meant. "Sam's not possessed," he assured her. "When he didn't come out of the diner, I went in after him only to find that everyone's throat had been slashed and traces of sulphur were left behind on the door."

"Sulphur?" Jo asked, her forehead wrinkling. "Are you talking about a demon?"

Dean nodded.

"Does this have anything to do with my mom, Ash, and the Roadhouse?" Jo asked, her fingers picking at the chipped table.

"I don't know," Dean replied honestly. "Maybe. About your mom –"

Jo held up a hand to interrupt him. "I know okay," Jo's breath hitched and her eyes became glassy. "I was there. I know she's dead."

Dean shook his head. "You're wrong, Jo. Bobby and I were there. We looked through the wreckage. We never found your mom. She could still be alive."


	2. Ch 2: Asphalt paved the way

**Chapter 2: Asphalt paved the way to hell **

Dean leaned against the side of the Impala as he and Bobby waited for Jo. It was a little after one in the morning and he was full of nervous energy.

Although he'd never admit it, he was afraid for Sam. Ever since his father had told him the secret about his brother, he'd been nervous that it would come to this. That something would happen to Sam and Dean would be forced to make a choice he wasn't ready to make.

"Maybe Jo shouldn't be driving right now," Bobby suggested, interrupting his thoughts. "She's in no shape to be behind the wheel."

Dean grunted in reply. At this point, his mind was only on one thing.

"I can drive the truck and she can ride shotgun with you," Bobby added.

Dean stilled and fixed his eyes on the older man. He couldn't believe what his father's friend had just suggested.

"Be a gentleman, boy," Bobby scolded. "The girl's just lost the only home she's ever known and her momma may be dead."

"But she might not – " Dean protested, crossing his arms over his chest.

Bobby gave Dean a stern look.

"Okay fine," Dean relented. As bad as he felt for Jo, Dean knew where his priorities lay. As much as he wanted to find out what happened to Ellen, it was more important to him to find his brother and to keep him safe. He'd promised their father that he would look out for Sam. And he'd be damned if he fell through on that vow.

Jo half-stumbled, half-shuffled out of the diner and into the dark parking lot, causing the two men to look over at her. Dean noticed that she looked a little more aware of her surroundings. A great change from when she had first walked in to the diner.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," she snapped, making her way to her truck.

"Hang on, Joanna Beth," Bobby called, stopping Jo midway between her truck and the Impala.

"Don't call me that," she said her voice low and threatening. Dean's eyes widened and he raised an eyebrow. He'd never heard her speak that way to anyone before. He guessed certain things _had _changed since the last time he saw her.

"Sorry," Bobby apologized. "Why don't you ride with Dean in the car and I'll drive your truck?"

"I'm not some helpless little girl, Bobby," Jo protested, glaring at the older man.

"I never said you were, Jo," Bobby said seriously. "I just thought you could use a little shut eye."

Jo pursed her lips as she contemplated Bobby's suggestion. A second later, she dug her keys out of her pockets and tossed them to Bobby.

"The first gear sticks a little," was all she said before climbing into the passenger seat of the Impala.

Dean looked at Bobby and shook his head. Figures he'd get stuck with Jo. He opened the door to his car and turned on the ignition, taking some comfort in the purring of the engine. He followed Bobby out of the lot and into the empty, dark road. As he drove, Dean wondered how his brother was doing. Was he okay? He didn't doubt that Sam was more than capable of taking care of himself, but the big brother in him couldn't help but worry about Sam. It was almost like second nature to him, taking care of his little brother. His father had drilled it into him at a young age that it was his job to look after Sam. Years of that kind of conditioning just didn't go away.

Frustration got the better of him and he slammed the heel of his palm on the wheel. God damn it! Why was this shit always happening to them?

He heard Jo shift on the seat beside him but she didn't say a word. He was grateful for the silence. He wasn't in the mood to talk. Dean leaned back on his seat and let out a sigh. He felt jittery and anxious, like he needed to get out and walk and hunt. All this driving was making him frustrated.

"How am I supposed to sleep if you keep making noises like that," Jo said, shifting to face him.

Dean looked over at her and scowled. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that it hadn't been his choice to drive her but he chose to remain quiet instead.

"Where are we going?" Jo asked dully, when he didn't respond.

"To see one of Bobby's contacts," Dean replied, his hand gripping the wheel tightly.

Jo nodded but didn't ask anymore questions. Dean was glad for the silence, it gave him a chance to think, to form a game plan. He knew that whatever took Sam probably had something to do with the yellow-eyed demon. It was times like these that Dean wished his father were still alive. John Winchester always knew what to do. Sometimes Dean wondered if he would ever become half the man his father had been. As it stood, he was failing at the one thing his father had always told him to do.

With a heavy heart and a crowded mind, Dean drove on, channelling his energy on the road. Ignoring the bad feeling in his gut that things weren't going to be all right.

Jo felt her head thump against something hard, jerking her awake. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, pain began to pound through her head. Her eyes felt heavy and sore and her head felt like someone had hollowed it out with a spoon. For a moment she felt disoriented, confused as to why she would be sitting in a car. Then she remembered where she had been and what she had seen and felt like her heart was being ripped apart. Silent, unbidden tears began to fall from her eyes as she thought about her mother. The woman who had given her life, the woman who had raised her was now gone. Missing or possibly dead.

Jo shook her head in denial. It couldn't be true. Ellen Harvelle was a strong woman; she couldn't be dead.

Her lip quivered as she brushed the tears off her cheeks. The thought of her mom suffering was unbearable. She felt rage and anger coursing through her veins.

"We'll find her, Jo," Dean said, startling her. She'd almost forgotten he was there.

"How can you be so sure?" Jo asked incredulously. "You say you were there. You saw what was left. How can anything have survived?"

Dean looked over at her. "We looked, Bobby and I. We didn't see any signs of your mom."

"Whatever," Jo dismissed, turning to face the window. She couldn't deal with Dean right now. She was far too emotional to be even thinking about him.

"By the way, Bobby called while you were asleep," Dean said, changing the subject. "He wants us to drive to Kansas to see Missouri while he goes to see his friend, Duke."

Jo frowned and looked over at Dean. "Who's Missouri?"

"She's an old family friend," Dean replied. "Bobby thinks she can help me find Sam."

Jo looked at him carefully, her eyes taking in his profile. "Don't you think that we're wasting time?" She asked. "All this back and forth."

"Don't you think I know that!" Dean snapped. "Sam's been missing for eight hours and I still have no clue where he could have gone."

Jo crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "What did you do last time?"

"What last time?" Dean asked irritated.

"Last time he went missing," Jo elaborated. "When he…when he found me in Duluth." Memories of that night flashed through her mind and Jo tried hard to push them back.

"Oh," Dean said, surprised that she'd brought it up. "I traced the GPS on his phone."

"Well why can't you do that again?" Jo asked.

"Because," Dean snapped.

"Because what?" Jo didn't understand why he wouldn't have tried. It worked the last time.

"Because," Dean leaned over and pulled open the glove compartment. He reached in and held up a silver phone. "Because he left it behind."

"Oh," Jo said, slightly embarrassed.

"That's right, oh," Dean said facetiously, shoving the phone back into the glove box and slamming it shut.

"Look," Jo snapped. "You don't have to be an asshole about it. I was just trying to help."

"Well don't!" Dean barked. "I don't need your help. This is my problem. I can deal with it on my own."

"Fine!" Jo yelled. "Do whatever the hell you want. Drop me off at the nearest Greyhound and I'll call Bobby for my car."

"Fine!" Dean gritted his teeth in anger.

Jo turned her head and looked back out the window. She couldn't stay in the same car as Dean any longer. He was a selfish son of a bitch and she hated him. She dug her fingernails into her palm in anger, making half-moon marks on her skin. All she was trying to do was help him and what did she get? Her head bitten off. She should have listened to her mother when she warned her about him. She had told Jo to watch out for Dean. She'd said that he was too much like his father. At the time, Jo had dismissed her mother's advice thinking that it was just her way of keeping Jo under her roof. Jo wanted freedom, she wanted to hunt and Ellen had always been against that. Oh God! If she hadn't left. If she had stayed behind. She could have helped her mother and Ash. She could have protected them from whatever destroyed the Roadhouse.

"Look," Dean said, pulling her from her thoughts. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Its fine," Jo said dismissively. "You don't want my help. You've made that loud and clear. I get it."

"It's just," Dean began before running a frustrated hand down his face. "I just need to find Sam, okay."

"Fine," Jo agreed. "I'll stay out of your way."

She leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. It was going to take all her energy to find out what happened to her mother and the Roadhouse. She knew she couldn't afford to stay with Dean. They weren't good for each other. She just wished she knew what to do.


	3. Ch 3: All things lie in Lawrence

**Chapter 3: All Things Lie in Lawrence**

Dean was tired. He'd been driving for the past ten hours and they were still a couple of hours away from where they needed to be. Despite the fatigue, he kept driving. It was the only thing he knew to do. He didn't want to stop, because if he did, it would mean that he'd given up.

And Dean would never give up on Sam.

He thumped his head against his seat and glanced over at the girl sitting next to him, feeling a pang of guilt.

Ever since their argument a couple of hours earlier, neither of them had said a word to each other. He concentrated on the road, while she'd kept her eyes trained to the side of the highway. To his great relief, she had fallen back asleep.

Dean cared for Jo. He really did. She was so much like him sometimes that it was scary. When they had first met, Dean thought that she was immature and eager; she had both amused and annoyed him. However, looking her over now, he could see that she had drastically changed. Not that he could blame her. She'd seen too many things, been through too much to keep the innocence and enthusiasm she once had.

Jo shivered and Dean frowned in concern. He reached forward and flicked on the switch for the heater, warming up the car.

He shook his head sadly. He remembered what he told her that time at the Roadhouse, right before he and Sam went off to a hunt. _Another time, another place._ He didn't know why he'd said it at the time. Maybe it was to cover up his fear. If she had been any other chick, he'd have slept with her by now. But she was Jo. She was tough and smart and damn sexy and for the first time in a long time, Dean had let himself be intimidated by a woman.

He wondered what Sam would say right now. He no doubt would have warned Dean not to mess with Jo. He would say that Jo was special and that she deserved more than a one-night stand. Sam was sensitive like that.

He missed his brother terribly and hoped that wherever he was that he was okay.

Dean reached for the phone and dialled Bobby. He should have reached his friend by now.

"Bobby, it's Dean," he said into the phone. "Did you speak to your friend yet?"

"_Yeah,"_ Bobby replied. _"I'm still here at his place."_

"What did he say?" Dean asked anxiously.

"_He couldn't get much. Just that something very strong is building up. He says that it's concentrated in the Midwest."_

"That's it?" Dean said incredulously. "Can't he pull out more information?"

"_We're going to keep trying," _Bobby replied. _"I'll call you as soon as I know more. Let me know when you speak to Missouri."_

"Yeah," Dean grunted. "Thanks, Bobby." He flipped the phone closed and clutched it in his hand.

Another dead end.

Dean's last hope was Missouri. He hadn't spoken to her since the last time they were in Lawrence when he and Sam had visited their old house and encountered their mother's spirit. He hadn't really thought about her up until now.

Dean wondered how much help she'd be able to provide. Sam had asked her if she knew anything about what was happening to him and she'd said no. Dean doubted that she would have any other information than what he already knew.

As the hours and miles passed, the silence started to get to Dean. Fear began to creep in on the fringes of his mind. He began to doubt if he would ever get to his brother in time, if he would be able to save Sam from what he was destined to become.

Their father had always told Dean to be the good soldier, to always remain in control. It was the only thing he knew how to do. Sam had his schooling and ambitions. Dean had hunting. That was just the way it was.

He'd grown up on the road. Taught in the school of life. Learned that you either fought or you were killed. It was as simple as that for him.

There were only two constants in life he believed in, two things that drove him – protecting Sam and hunting down evil.

If you took those away, there was nothing left for Dean.

He was desperate for a distraction. He looked over at his companion and thought that he'd rather listen to her angry words rather than sit in silence.

Reaching over, he gently shook her shoulder. "Jo. Jo wake up."

Jo mumbled and shifted in her seat. "Jo…" Dean called.

Suddenly, she gasped and jerked, startling Dean.

"What's going on?" She asked her voice raspy from sleep.

"We're almost there," Dean said looking over at her. Her eyes were wide and her hair dishevelled. She looked like someone had just scared her out of sleep, which thinking about it, was what he might have done.

"Hmmnnn?" Jo frowned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"We're in Lawrence, Kansas," Dean continued.

Jo stiffened. "Why are we here, Dean?"

"This is where Missouri lives," he replied. "Remember, I told you. Our family friend?"

Jo shook her head. "Is she a hunter?"

"No," Dean glanced over at her. "She's a psychic. She also knows a lot about Hoodoo and might be able to help."

"Do you think she can help me find my mom?" Jo asked.

Dean shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. I've really only met her once."

Jo nodded her gaze fixed on the road ahead.

"Do you still…," Dean wasn't sure how to broach the subject.

"Do I what?" Jo asked, playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Do you still want me to drop you off at the bus station?" He wasn't sure what answer he wanted to hear. He was so used to having someone with him that he couldn't remember what it had been like when he was hunting alone.

Jo sighed and pushed her hair back from her face. "I don't know," she shook her head. "I need to find my mom, Dean. And I know you need to look for Sam. I just…I don't know what to do."

Dean nodded in understanding. Neither one of them said anything more, preferring to brood in silence than to talk. By the time Dean pulled into Missouri's driveway, both of them were ready to get some answers.

Jo pushed the Impala's door open and stretched out her sore legs. She looked around and thought how normal the suburban neighbourhood looked. The house in front of her appeared ordinary, no giant psychic signs or weird symbols on the door. She didn't know what to expect when Dean had told her they were going to see a psychic. She'd never met one before. None of them ever made their way to the Roadhouse.

She followed Dean up the steps and waited as he rang the bell. She looked at the planter at the side of the door and caught the faint outlines of a chalk symbol etched into the inside of the clay pot.

"It's a hoodoo symbol," Dean said when he saw what she was looking at.

"I know," Jo had read a little about the practice, when she had been doing some research. She didn't think any practitioners lived this far north.

The door opened and a heavy-set, dark-skinned woman looked at them in surprise.

"Dean!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to see you," Dean replied, tipping his head in greeting.

"Come in," she opened the door wider and stepped aside to let them in.

"So much for her being psychic. She didn't even know you were coming," Jo whispered into Dean's ear, earning her an elbow to the ribs.

Jo looked over and noticed Missouri looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Jo had the grace to blush when she realized that the older woman had heard her comment.

"I was just about to have lunch," she said stepping around them. "Would you two like to join me?"

The two of them shook their head simultaneously.

"No thanks," said Dean. "We just wanted to ask you some questions."

"Nonsense," Missouri dismissed. "When was the last time you ate?"

Jo looked over at Dean who merely shrugged and followed the older woman into the kitchen.

"Why don't you two have a seat," Missouri suggested as she bustled around in the kitchen.

Jo raised an eyebrow at Dean who raised his in return. It was as if the two of them were having a silent conversation. Jo didn't understand why they were wasting time, just sitting around eating. She needed to find out about her mother while Dean needed to find Sam.

"So, um…Miss," Jo began unable to wait any longer.

"You can call me Missouri," the older woman smiled warmly.

"Right," Jo nodded. "Missouri, are you able to help us find my mom and Dean's brother, Sam?"

The Psychic paused and but kept her back turned. A second later, she continued her actions, pulling things out of the fridge and opening drawers.

"My, my," she began. "You are you're daddy's daughter. He was always a little impatient."

Jo stiffened. Her father? How the hell did this woman know who her father was?

"Excuse me?" Jo asked, her voice hitching in disbelief.

Missouri turned and placed a glass of water in front of Jo. "I knew your daddy. And you're a lot like him, but you must have gotten your good looks from your momma though," she chuckled to herself.

"You know who I am?" Jo pointed to her chest. Was this woman for real?

"Of course I do," Missouri smiled but it quickly disappeared and she tipped her head to the side in thought. "I'm real sorry about what happened to him."

Jo tore her eyes away from hers and stared hard at the glass. Did this woman know that it was John who killed her father? But Jo was too afraid to ask. Instead, she lifted the glass and pressed the cool liquid to her lips.

She could feel Dean's eyes on her which she tried hard to ignore. She wasn't ready to talk about her daddy yet. That was a secret that was hers and hers alone.

"Bobby suggested that you might be able to help me find my brother," Dean said as Missouri finally sat down.

Missouri tipped her head to the side thoughtfully as she cut her sandwich in half. "I might be," she said cryptically. Suddenly, she placed her knife down and looked up from her plate. "It's going to be hard, Dean. Very, very hard."

Dean swallowed but remained silent.

Missouri continued, "The Demon that's got Sam, he's got others like your brother, and he's got big plans for them."

"Can you tell me where he is?" Dean asked his voice hoarse with emotion.

Missouri shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Dean."

Dean tried hard to mask his disappointment. A second later, he stood up and left the kitchen.

Jo looked up and was just about to follow Dean out, when she felt Missouri lay a hand on her arm.

"Leave him for a minute," she advised. "He'll be okay. He's a strong boy."

Jo reluctantly sat back down. She didn't say a word to the older woman. Instead, she picked at the sandwich on her plate and avoided her gaze.

Missouri sighed. "I know what you're thinking. You want to venture out on your own. Look for your momma."

Jo looked up, surprised.

"But you can't," Missouri said, looking Jo straight in the eye. "The time isn't right. You have to fight alongside Dean."

Jo shook her head. "My mom is missing. I need to find her." She ran a frustrated hand through her long, blonde hair. "God! I don't even know if she's still alive."

Missouri reached out and squeezed Jo's arm in sympathy. "It'll be alright, Jo. Everything will work out."

"But Dean said that it wasn't my fight. That he didn't want my help," Jo explained.

"Dean's a Winchester," Missouri shrugged. "That's just the way the Winchester men are. Stubborn. He'll learn soon enough that he can't do this on his own."

Jo shook her head in doubt before taking a deep breath. "Is Sam okay? Is he in danger?"

Missouri frowned. "For now. But the two of you have to hurry. There's not a lot of time left. I'm afraid –" She trailed off. "Just get to him soon."

A grunt and a dull, thump from the foyer caught the two women's attention. The two of them pushed back from the table and ran out to investigate.

In the hallway, Dean sat crumpled to the ground with his hands around his head, grimacing in pain.


	4. Ch 4: Angels & Demons

**Chapter 4: Angels and Demons**

Dean felt like his head was being ripped in two, like someone or something was trying to cram things in his mind. Distorted images rapidly flashed behind his eyes. They were disjointed, as if shown through shutter snaps, bits and pieces with seemingly no connection.

In the distance, he could hear someone calling his name, could feel someone shaking him but he's unable to respond. The pain is too great and all he can do is curl himself into a ball and clutch his head. Soon enough the images dissipate and the pressure in his head ease.

"Dean? Can you hear me?" A female voice asked.

Dean held up his hand in response and struggled to open his eyes.

"Sit him up, Jo. I'll get him a glass of water."

Dean felt himself being lifted to a sitting position with his back pressed against the wall. His vision swam into view and he could see the blurred image of a blonde woman before him. For a moment he thought that it was his mother, remembering the alternate life he'd seen from the djinn.

"Are you okay?" Jo asked.

"I'm awesome," Dean quipped in his usual sarcastic manner. He rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead, massaging the dull ache that remained.

"What happened?" Jo asked, sitting down on the floor beside him.

"I don't know, but I think I may have been a vision," Dean replied. "I saw Sam and…Andy." He frowned, shutting his eyes tightly trying to recall what he'd seen.

"Who's Andy?" Jo looked at him quizzically.

Dean opened his eyes and waved his hands in the air in explanation. "He's this guy we came across on one of our hunts. He's special like Sam."

Jo raises an eyebrow. "Special?"

Dean sighed at the questioning tone of Jo's voice. Not very many people know of Sam's ability and he wanted to keep it that way. However, this was Jo. The girl was practically family. Besides, Dean felt that he owed her an explanation after what Sam had done to her in Duluth.

"Sam has visions. Kinda like images in a crystal ball," he explained. "And he's not the only one like this. We've come across three people who has some sort of special ability like him."

"So Sam's psychic?" Jo whispers.

"Sort of. Not really," Dean shook his head. "Visions just come to him but he doesn't know when they'll happen."

"Okay," Jo shifted and turned her body to face Dean. "So you think that you had one of these visions," she waved her hands in the air. "And you saw Sam and this Andy-guy."

"Pretty much," Dean thumped his head against the wall, thankful that Jo had given up prying about his little brother.

Missouri took that moment to walk back into the living room, handing Dean a glass of water. "Here," she said. "Drink this."

"Thanks," Dean said gratefully, taking a small sip of the cool liquid.

"I heard what you said," said Missouri. "Are you sure you saw your brother?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Did you see anything else?" She asked.

"I saw this guy, Andy. They were in some sort of town. It looked pretty empty. There was a well and a bell," Dean rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That's pretty much it."

Missouri nodded her head in thought. "I think you should call Bobby."

Dean paused and looked up at her. "But he told me you can help?"

"Oh, Dean," Missouri said her voice full of sympathy. "You need to call Bobby as soon as you can and find your brother. I don't know how long Sam's got but you need to get to him fast."

Dean felt fear grip his gut. He had known that Sam might be in danger but to hear Missouri say it just confirmed the urgency.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you," the older psychic apologized. "I've tried but there seems to be some sort of mental block as to where they are." Missouri closed her eyes and raised a hand to her temple. "I just can't see it."

Dean swallowed and pushed himself up, hands braced behind him against the the wall, using it to stand. Jo was right there with him, helping him to his feet.

"Do you want me to drive?" Jo offered.

Dean shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I can drive." He turned towards Missouri, "if you hear anything, you know my number."

The older woman nodded her head as she watched the two of them shuffle out the door. "Remember what I told you, Jo," she reminded, watching them with keen eyes.

Dean waited as Jo got into the passenger seat, shutting the door beside her. "What did she say to you?" He asked. He couldn't imagine what it could have been seeing as the older woman had never met Jo.

"Nothing," Jo replied, shaking her head. Dean noted her hesitation and let the matter drop.

Suddenly remembering what Missouri advised him to do, Dean fished his cell phone out of his pocket and dialled Bobby. When the line went unanswered after several rings, he cursed and hung up.

"What's wrong?" Jo asked twisting in her seat to face him.

"Bobby's not picking up," Dean grunted.

"Keep trying," Jo urged.

However, after an hour of dialling, Dean's call still went unanswered.

"Godammit," Dean cursed, slamming the heel of his hand against the wheel. Why wasn't Bobby picking up? Dean's gut clenched in worry.

"Maybe we should swing by his place," Jo suggested noting Dean's frustration. "You know check things out."

Dean didn't reply. Instead, his grip on the wheel tightened and his foot pressed a little harder on the gas. Something big was happening and Dean was more afraid that he'd ever been.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Jo rubbing the hilt of her father's knife. With all his worry for Sam, he'd almost forgotten that Jo was suffering too. She was mourning the loss of her friend and also perhaps her mother. Dean realized that he was yet to acknowledge that.

"I'm…I'm sorry about Ash," he said, his voice coming out a little hoarse.

Jo didn't say anything. She merely at there with her arms crossed across her chest and her eyes staring unwaveringly on the road.

"He was a good guy," Dean added.

"Yeah, he was," Jo whispered causing Dean to look over at her. He knew that she was trying hard to be strong judging from the wetness in her eyes and the slight quiver in her lips.

Dean reached out and touched her shoulder, uncharacteristically, hoping to offer her some comfort. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she didn't shrug off his touch.

"We'll find the demon that did this, Jo," he said. "I promise."

Jo angrily swiped at the tear that fell down her cheek. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Dean."

He knew she was right but he couldn't help himself. He was sure that whatever happened to the Roadhouse had everything to do with his brother's disappearance. It was just too much of a coincidence that the place would burn down just as Ash had something important to tell him that he needed to do it in person.

Dean wished that he'd gotten to the Roadhouse a little faster. Perhaps he could have spoken to Ash a little sooner. There were a lot of good people that died in that fire. It pained him to think of all the lives that were lost. But Dean knew that in the life of a hunter there were no guarantees. That all you had to protect you was your gun and your knowledge that you knew what you were doing. Even hope and prayer eventually died in this business.

Dean had learned not put himself out there, both in life and in love. He'd done it before and had gotten burned – first his mother, then Cassie, then his father. It just hurt too much to hope.

His brother was one of the rare ones. The too few hunters who still believed that there was a heaven out there. He remembered the case they worked on a few months back. Sam had believed that the string of murders had been the cause of a vengeful angel. Dean thought Sam was naïve to believe in such things. He'd even made the comment about unicorns and rainbows that shot out of their asses. However, in truth, Dean wanted to believe; because it would ease his burden and give everything that they did a sense of purpose. But he had to be realistic, despite the contradiction that it posed. Dean found it hard to believe that there was a heaven out there (whatever it may be). He'd seen too many horrible things and been through too much to believe.

"Before he died," he began, breaking the tense silence in the car. "Ash told me that he had something important to tell me. That he had to do it in person because it wasn't something he could just tell me on the phone."

The leather seat squeaked as Jo turned to face him, angling her knee towards him.

"He left a message for me saying the same thing," she said in surprise. She frowned and let out a disappointed breath. "But I guess we're both too late. We'll never find out what it was."

Dean heard the sadness in her voice and he couldn't help but sympathize. Ash was a lot of things, but to Jo he meant family and his loss was a lot to bear. And he felt for her, he really did. No one deserved to lose family the way she did. To be torn asunder by the grief and the loss.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and saw the way she stared impassively out the windows, her shoulders hunched forward and sagging as if she'd resigned herself to her fate. It was at that moment that Dean realized that despite the confusion he felt towards Jo, she was now part of this battle whether either of them liked it or not.


	5. Ch 5: Come Hell or Holy Water

**Chapter 5: Come Hell or Holy Water**

Jo stepped out of the Impala, her bones cracking in protest. She glanced around the crowded salvage yard and noticed the emptiness of the place, despite it being full of old and broken cars.

Growing up at the Roadhouse she'd never once heard Bobby mention where he lived. She figured he must live on the road because all hunters lived on the road. Not once did she think that he would be the kind who set up roots and stick to one place at a time.

The shutting of the Impala door brought her out of her thoughts. She looked over at Dean who was already half-way to the door of the little house that stood in the middle of the junkyard.

"You comin'?" He asked glancing back at her.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied, jogging up to keep in step with him.

"Bobby!" Dean barked, knocking on the dark, wooden front door. "Bobby, its Dean and Jo."

The door was yanked open and Bobby squinted into the light. "Took you kids long enough," he said, opening the door to let them in.

"I've been calling you for the past two hours," Dean said irritably.

"Huh, my phone hasn't rang," Bobby replied, picking up the cell phone that was sitting on the side table. "You sure you called?"

"Yeah," Dean grumbled, his eyebrows knitting into a frown. "It's a little weird that none of my calls went through."

Bobby rubbed his beard and frowned. "I don't know what to tell you."

Jo looked around, fascinated by the walls of books that littered the floor of the small house. She walked over to one of the stacks and read the titles on the spines. There were books on demonology, witchcraft, and anything and everything that had to do with the occult.

"Did you get any information from Missouri?" She heard Bobby ask.

"No," Dean paused. "But something happened while we were there."

When Jo heard Dean, she turned her gaze away from the books and walked over to where he and Bobby stood.

"I had some sort of…vision," Dean explained. "I saw Sam and this guy that we know, Andy. There were in some kind of town."

Bobby squinted thoughtfully. "Did you see anything else?"

Dean closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "There was a well with a bell over it."

Bobby's stance changed like he'd heard something interesting that neither Dean nor Jo had noticed before. He walked over to one of the walls of books, his fingers dancing over the spines as he searched for something in particular.

"Did the bell have any kind of inscription on it?" He asked.

Dean frowned. "I think there was some sort of tree. It looked like an oak tree."

"I think I know where that place –," Bobby replied, his finger stopping on a dark blue book. However, a sudden noise coming from the kitchen had all three of them bolting from the living room.

A dark shadow moved near the back door. Bobby and Dean cocked their guns before Bobby flicked on the switch and the room was said suddenly bathed in light.

"Mom!" Jo exclaimed, reaching her mother in two strides. The two of them embraced and Jo felt tears of relief and joy course down her face.

"Oh god, mom," she said tearfully. "The Roadhouse…Ash, I thought you were dead."

Ellen brushed her daughter's hair out of her face. "I'm alright, baby. I'm okay."

Jo buried her face in her mother's shoulder, never having felt as elated as she did at that moment to see her mother alive.

"Ellen," Dean said, causing both mother and daughter to look over at him.

Ellen reluctantly released her hold on her daughter and walked over to the older of the Winchester boys enveloping him in a hug.

"It's so good to see you, Dean," Ellen said.

"Good to see you too," Dean replied. "What happened?"

Ellen stepped back and sat down on a chair. "I was on my way back to the Roadhouse from the bank," she explained. "I got a call from Ash asking me to grab something from the safe. I was just about to turn off onto the road that led to the bar when I saw it go up in a ball of flames."

Jo sat down across from her and reached for her mother's hand. Ellen looked up and smiled gratefully at her daughter.

"Did Ash tell you what he wanted?" Dean asked.

Ellen shook her head. "He said I'd know when I saw it. I haven't touched that safe in years. It's buried in a shed behind the Roadhouse."

Bobby placed a shot glass full of water on the worn Formica table. "Drink this," he ordered.

Ellen and Jo looked up at him and Dean frowned.

"What is it?" Ellen asked, the rim of the glass touching her lips.

"Holy water," Bobby replied.

"What?" Dean and Jo exlaimed at the same time.

"My mom is not possessed," Jo insisted, frowning at Bobby.

"I never said she was," Bobby replied. "It's just a precaution."

"Its okay, Jo," Ellen assured. She tossed her head back and downed the liquid. She raised the glass to Bobby and cocked her head to the side before placing it back down on the table with a thump. "See, no demon," Ellen said.

Bobby nodded and took away the glass, just as Dean pulled up a chair, laying his gun on the table.

"Did you open the safe?" Dean asked resting his forearms against the chair's back.

Ellen shook her head. "No, when the explosion occurred I just took off. I didn't know what to do," she let out a wry chuckle. "Years of hanging around hunters you think some of that ballsy courage would rub off on me. All I could think to do was run. This was the first place I could think of to come."

She paused then looked around. "Where's Sam?"

Dean cast his eyes to the floor and remained silent.

"Sam's missing, mom," Jo supplied when it looked like Dean wasn't going to talk.

"What do you mean he's missing?" Ellen asked.

"We were at a diner," Dean said softly. "I sent him in to get an order. When he didn't come out after a few minutes, I followed him in. Everyone was…dead. Sam was gone and there was sulphur lining the doors."

"A demon?" Ellen asked.

Dean nodded in reply.

"But Bobby thinks he knows where Sam is," said Jo, causing her mother to look over at the older man. "He was about to tell us when we heard you."

Bobby leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms across his chest. "As I was saying, I think Sam might be in Cold Oak, South Dakota."

"Why Cold Oak?" Jo asked.

Instead of answering, Bobby walked into the living and came back a second later holding a hard-covered book. He placed it on the table and flipped it onto a page with a drawing of a bell.

"Is this what you saw, Dean?" He asked, pointing to the drawing.

"Yeah, that's it," Dean replied, looking over at the page.

"Cold Oak was a town so haunted that every living thing fled from it," Bobby explained. "It's been abandoned for almost a century."

"What the hell are we waiting for?" Dean snapped, pushing back from the table. "Let's go."

Bobby's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "We need to be prepared before we get there," he cautioned. "We need weapons. Salt, iron, holy water. We need to be prepared for whatever we may come across."

"Fine," Dean ground out. "But while we're sitting here talking, Sam could be fighting for his life."

"How do you plan on getting him out if you're not prepared," Bobby asked. "You don't know what's in that town."

Dean pursed his lips as he tried to control his temper. Jo decided to interrupt knowing that Dean was holding on to his patience by a thin thread.

"Why don't we grab what we need and hit the road," Jo suggested, moving to get up. "Mom, are you okay to come?"

Ellen nodded in reply.

"Dean you take Jo in the Impala and Ellen can ride with me in my truck," said Bobby, picking the book up off the table. "Jo, you take this and read as much as you can about this town," he handed Jo the book. "Are you two okay for weapons?"

"I've got my stash in the trunk," said Dean. "Jo can borrow one of the shotguns since I know that's her weapon of choice."

Jo looked over at Dean, the corner of her lip quirking in a smile as she recalled the first time they met.

"Okay, that's settled," Dean pulled out the car keys from his pocket and headed towards the front door. "Let's go."

The four of them left Bobby's house and got into their cars prepared for the short drive to Cold Oak.


	6. Ch 6: What Little Girls are Made of

**Chapter 6: What Little Girls are Made of**

The back roads to Cold Oak were eerily quiet and still. Passing cars and city lights were pretty much non-existent. There were old farm houses that would appear every couple of miles but those too had been abandoned. It was as if the evil that had been in Cold Oak wasn't contained just to the town. It looked like it spread itself throughout the surrounding lands, turning everything it touched into death.

Once again, Dean was seated behind the wheel, his eyes hard like steel as he kept his thoughts focused on finding his brother. Beside him Jo looked over the book that Bobby had given her, learning everything she could about the history behind the town and its eventual abandonment.

"It says here that the town had once been a thriving with people but strange events eventually forced its inhabitants out," Jo read aloud. She looked over at Dean who continued to keep his eyes on the road.

"It started with a possession of a girl who later died," she continued. "Then the children started getting sick. Outsiders stopped coming to town. The adults could swear that they could hear laughter even though there was no one around."

Jo frowned and bit her lip. "What would Sam be doing in this town?"

"I don't know," Dean said softly. "I don't know what that yellow eyed, son of a bitch demon has planned but we have to stop him."

"Are you sure it's him that did this?" Jo asked, causing Dean to look over at her.

"As sure as I am about anything," he replied. "I know he's behind this."

Jo was quiet for a moment. "How are we supposed to kill him? Devil's trap? Holy water?"

Dean shook his head, turning back to the road. "No, there's only one thing that can kill him."

Jo's curiosity was piqued. If the devil's trap didn't get rid of him then what did? "What is it?"

"It's the Colt," Dean said.

"A Colt?" Jo asked, she'd heard of the legend but wasn't entirely sure if it was only been hearsay.

"No. _The Colt._ It's the only weapon that I know of that can kill this son of a bitch," Dean explained. "My dad had it once."

Jo closed the book in her lap, placing it on the floor. She turned towards Dean. "Where is it?"

Dean squared his jaw and for a moment he didn't answer. "It's gone."

"What?" Jo exclaimed. "The one thing that can kill this Demon, a gun that you said your father once had, is missing?"

"Pretty much," he growled. Her questions were starting to irritate him. Why should he have to defend himself and his family to her?

"Well, how the hell are we supposed to go up against this Demon when the only thing that can kill him is now gone?" Jo shook her head.

"I don't know, okay!" Dean yelled in the closed confines of the car. Jo startled in reaction and he suddenly felt bad.

Dean ran a hand down his face, resting his elbow against the window. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just need to think for a minute okay. Can we just have some silence?"

Jo crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine. Whatever you want."

Dean pursed his lips and glanced over at her. There was just so much going on that his head was starting to pound from all the pressure.

"Months ago," he began, swallowing thickly. "My dad, Sam, and I were in a really bad car accident." He didn't know why he was telling her this story but once he started he just couldn't stop.

"We were all pretty roughed up. Actually," he smiled wryly. "I was in a coma the whole time."

Jo twisted in her seat and frowned, unsure of what Dean was trying to tell her.

"So there was this chick and she's screaming and running up and down the halls of the hospital because no one could see her."

"Was she a ghost, a spirit?" Jo asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

Dean shook his head and in all seriousness said, "I thought so at first, but no. Not really."

He paused, letting the silence hover. His mind flashed to the time when he had been in hospital and his panic at realizing that he was dying.

"She was a reaper," Dean said.

"But you could see her…," Jo trailed off. "What happened to you, Dean?"

Dean didn't reply. Not at first. Instead, he rubbed his finger against his upper lip in thought. "I was…dying," he whispered before he squared his jaw in remembrance.

"I was dying and my dad…well…he traded his soul to save mine," he explained. "But that wasn't enough. The Demon wanted the Colt as well."

Jo remained quiet and for that Dean was thankful. Remembering that painful time in his life had taken a lot out of him and he found himself in a contemplative mood.

"We'll figure it out," Jo assured him. "We've got Bobby and my mom on our side."

Dean said nothing, choosing instead to pop a tape in the deck to drown out his thoughts.

-----------------------------------------

By the time they reached the forest surrounding Cold Oak, the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon indicating the approach of night.

Dean shut the door of the Impala, quickly making his way to the back of the car. Popping the trunk open, he began to rifle through his stash of weapons, picking out the items he'd need. He handed Jo a shotgun, who quickly accepted it without complaint. A minute later, Bobby's truck pulled up beside them.

"Don't carry too much," Bobby warned. "We've got quite a hike ahead of us. I don't know how thick these woods are but I'm willing to bet that it'll take us at least half an hour to get through it."

Dean didn't say anything. Instead, he handed Ellen a gun and grabbed a flashlight for himself and Jo before shutting the trunk with a resounding thump.

He turned and headed towards the forest, not bothering to wait for the rest of the group. He missed the way Jo looked at her mother and Bobby before following closely behind him.

The hike through the forest was tough. Trees and roots had overgrown and stray branches continuously blocked their paths. It was made even tougher since they had to traverse it in the dark.

Dean tripped over a root and nearly fell to his feet, dropping his gun. Luckily he caught himself in time, but that was the split second it took for him to be caught off-guard by an angry spirit. The ghost of a little girl appeared out of nowhere, catching all four of them by surprise. For a moment none of them moved, too shocked by her appearance to do or say anything. Suddenly, she flickered, like a camera's shutter, and her face suddenly changed. The picture of innocence was replaced by a snarling ghost before she charged at Dean.

Dean meant to grab his gun but the darkness of the forest made it difficult to spot it on the muddy earth. Before he knew it, the little girl had pinned him against a tree with one hand around his throat and the other aimed right at his chest. However, before she could squeeze the life out of his heart, something came whizzing by causing the spirit to dissipate into dust.

Dean fell to the ground, clasping at his throat and coughing, desperately trying to get his breath back. Ellen was quickly at his side checking to see if he was okay. He looked up and saw Jo cross his line of vision as she walked over to a tree off to his side. He watched as she pulled out the knife imbedded into the trunk, before sheathing it back into it's holder that was strapped to her thigh.

He frowned and wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.

"Thanks," Dean mumbled, his eyes closely watching Jo.

She shrugged and tucked the shotgun under her arm. "Don't mention it."

Dean nodded, an understanding passing between them. He might have doubted her before but what she just did earned her a little of Dean's respect. After all, she just saved his life.

"C'mon, we better get a move on," said Bobby, pulling Dean up off the ground. He could see the warning in the older man's eyes and Dean cursed himself at not moving fast enough to fend off the ghost. He needed to keep his head well on his shoulders if he wanted to get his brother out of this. It wouldn't do Sam any good if he got himself hurt or killed before they even made it out of these god-forsaken woods.

Dean followed behind Bobby glancing every now and again behind him to Jo and Ellen. He saw how Ellen watched over her daughter, making sure that Jo didn't get hurt.

Dean shook his head. He envied Jo. Here she was trying to run away from the only parent she had, while he would give anything just to be in her place. His father was gone, sold his soul to the devil, and his mother…well, he missed her so goddamn much that his heart literally ached sometimes. It was why he almost decided to stay in the djinn's make-believe world. At least in that universe his mother had still been alive and Sam had a chance to live a normal life. A life where he would marry, pop out a couple of kids, and grow old. He'd never have to experience the fear of not knowing whether he would come out alive from a hunt or not. Sam would never have to see the eyes of someone who had witnessed evil. He would never have to kill. But most of all, he'd be saved from ever knowing the existence of the Yellow Eyed Demon.

Dean looked off into the distance and squinted. He shone his flashlight in the direction catching sight of the clearing up ahead. He started walking faster, passing Bobby before he took off in a jog through the rest of the forest.

"I see a clearing," he called behind him. "It's just up ahead." He could hear the rest of them following behind him, their footfalls making stomping noises in the dark.

"Sam!" He yelled his breath catching in his throat as his stomach tied itself into knots. "Sam! Where are you?"

He burst out of the forest and into some sort of open dirt field. He could see the dark silhouettes of building up ahead.

"Sam! It's Dean!" He yelled, shining the flashlight at his surroundings. "Sam!"

"Dean?" He heard a voice call off in the distance.

"Sam?" He called in response.

Jo and Ellen shone their flashlights ahead of him, illuminating the road that lead to the town. Dean could see a tall shadow coming towards them and he held his gun out ahead of him.

"Sam?"

"Dean?"

"Sammy!" Dean yelled, recognizing his brother's form.

"Dean!" Sam began running towards him. Suddenly, there was a blast and the two of them stopped in their tracks. Dean saw the look of shock on Sam's face and followed his line of sight. He turned and saw Jo with her shotgun raised, smoke coming out of the barrel.

"What the hell?" He whispered, looking back at Sam. He heard something fall hard on the ground and for the first time since he saw his brother, he noticed something was behind him.

"Oh God," Jo whispered, her shaking hands lowering the gun. "I didn't know. I just saw…," she babbled.

Dean ignored her and walked over to Sam who was now crouched down on the ground beside the body. He laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, causing Sam to look up.

"His name was Jake," Sam explained. "He was like me."

Dean nodded. "Let's go, Sammy," he urged his brother to stand.

"He was trying to kill me, Dean," Sam said, eyeing the knife lying beside Jake's hand.

Dean turned and saw Jo off to the side, hands braced on her knees as she vomited on the ground. Her mother was beside her, comforting her, easing the pain she must be feeling from her first kill.

Dean swallowed and turned his focus back on his brother. They needed to get out of here before something else happened.

"Come on, Sam. We gotta go," he said. Sam reluctantly stood, leaning on his brother for support.

Dean helped Sam limp over to Bobby where they stood waiting for Ellen and Jo.

"Is she going to be okay?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Bobby said. "I hope so."


	7. Ch 7: Scent of Leather & Gunpowder

**Chapter 7: Gunpowder and Leather**

Jo lay in the backseat of the Impala with her sock-clad feet pressed against the window. She shifted her head and pushed against her jacket that was serving as a makeshift pillow. As tired as she was, she just couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes all she could see was that man, Jake, blood exploding from his chest as the bullet from her gun ripped through his body.

Jo shuddered and wrapped her arms around her middle trying to ward off the cold. She turned to her side and faced the back of the seat, her finger running along the leather seam. She'd never killed anyone before. She'd vanquished ghosts and spirits but never a (physical) human body. It wasn't like any shooting game she'd ever played. In those games, none of the characters looked at her like Jake had looked at her. Despite the dim lighting, she had seen that deadened, shocked look in his eyes as he felt the bullet enter his body. The final moment when he realized that he was dying. It had made Jo sick to her stomach.

She scrubbed a hand down her face. She would cry if she thought she had any tears left. As it was, she just felt drained, beaten down and exhausted. All she wanted to do was sleep. She longed for the days back when she was a little girl and her mother would soothe her to sleep. Now, the only thing that awaited her back in Boulder was an empty apartment and a cold bed.

She turned and faced the front and realized that Dean was no longer behind the wheel. He had relinquished it to his brother while he caught up on some much needed sleep. She was happy for him. She was glad that they were able to find Sam when they did. Perhaps that was why Dean chose now to sleep because he knew that his brother was safe.

"Jo," he heard Sam whisper. "You awake?"

She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Yeah."

"I just wanted…," Sam began and Jo could see him work his throat as he thought of what to say. "What I mean is…thank you," he finally said.

"Its fine," she dismissed. She really didn't want to think about what she'd done.

"No," Sam continued. "What you did…you saved my life."

Jo didn't say anything, choosing instead to look out the window.

Neither one of them said anything for a while, but she could feel his eyes on her through the rear-view mirror.

She sighed and met his eyes. "What is it, Sam?" She watched him tighten then loosen his grip on the wheel.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Jo frowned. "About what?"

Sam rubbed a finger against his upper lip. "About what I did. In Duluth."

"Oh," Jo said. "I understand, Sam. You were possessed. There wasn't much you could have done about it." But Jo didn't really know Sam all that well. She didn't know that the guilt from what he'd done to her ate away at him a little each day.

"No, I never apologized for what I did. I just wanted you to know that if I could have stopped it, I would have," he explained.

"Its fine, Sam," Jo closed her eyes. She was really, really tired. "Can we just drop it?"

Sam nodded, deciding to leave her alone. Jo closed her eyes and willed herself to think of happy thoughts. She rested her head against the window, feeling the cold and dampness seeping into her skin. Slowly, she fell asleep.

Jo opened her eyes but she was no longer in the car. Instead, she was back at the Roadhouse and she was screaming. She was trying to get her father to listen to her but he didn't seem hear her. She stood on the porch of the Roadhouse with her mother's hand holding tight to her shoulder. She could feel the tears coursing down her cheeks but her father merely turned and winked at her before he waved goodbye. Suddenly, she heard a shotgun blast and the image changed to John Winchester looking down at her father's broken body as his blood mixed with the water from the rain. John turned to look at her and mouthed her name, _"Jo."_

"Jo…Jo."

Jo bolted upright, her forehead colliding with someone who was hovering over her.

"Jesus, Jo," the person swore.

Jo pushed through the fog of her dream, blinking her eyes open. Her hand flew to her forehead and she groaned. She saw Dean kneeling on the front seat, doing exactly the same.

"What happened?" She asked. She felt coolness against her cheeks and was surprised to find tears when she touched her face.

"You were having a nasty dream," Dean replied, wincing when he touched the sore spot on his brow. "You were moaning and thrashing around in the backseat."

"I was?" She closed her eyes and tried to recall what she had been dreaming about but it was like trying to capture smoke. All she could remember was the feel and smell of leather and gunpowder.

Dean smirked. "If I didn't know any better. I'd have thought you were having a sex dream. In any case, we're here."

Jo looked around and realized that they had driven back to Bobby's house.

"Where's my mom?" She asked.

"They're just five minutes behind us," Dean looked over to where his brother stood outside the car. "Guess Sammy drives pretty damn fast for a nerd."

"Is Sam okay?" Jo asked following his line of sight.

"Yeah, I think so," Dean shrugged.

Slowly, the past few hours came back to Jo and the nausea and guilt she felt from earlier returned.

"Let me out, Dean," Jo said, pushing on the front seat. "Let me out."

"Fine, okay," Dean said when he saw the crazy look in her eyes.

Jo pushed through and nearly fell out of the car in her hurry to get out. She stumbled away from the Impala, leaning against an old, torn-apart Ford. She bent forward and gagged but nothing came out. She'd probably emptied everything she had in her stomach when she vomited earlier.

"You okay?" She heard Dean ask but she didn't answer. Instead, she held up a hand warning him to keep back. Thankfully, he understood and she was able to compose herself before she had to face him and Sam again.

The rumble of an engine drew their attention, causing them to look down the road. Bobby's truck bounced down the dirt road towards them. Jo wiped the cold sweat off her face with the sleeve of her jacket before walking back to where Sam and Dean stood.

"Jo, you okay, honey?" Ellen asked as soon as Bobby cut the engine.

Jo slowly blinked and nodded. "Yeah. Just a little tired, is all."

Ellen nodded in understanding shutting the truck's door behind her. She walked over to Jo and slung an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up and put something in your stomach."

At the thought of food, Jo held down the urge to vomit. As much as she wanted her mother's attention, she really just wanted to be left alone.

As soon as they entered Bobby's house, Dean headed straight for the couch making himself at home. Bobby joined him and the two of them sat there, fatigue evident in their eyes.

Sam stood in the middle of the room and gestured to the door with his hand. "What are you guys doing?" He asked. "We have work to do."

"Sam," Dean warned. "Can you just let us rest of an hour or two? We've been going non-stop for nearly two days now and I don't know about you but I'm bone tired."

Sam looked at him incredulously. "How can you just sit there when you know the Yellow Eyed Demon is still out there?"

Dean shook his head and looked away. Sam huffed and moved around so that Dean would be forced to look at him.

"He told me something while I was out there," Sam pointed to the door while he loomed over Dean. "He said that he's planning to unleash his army and that every generation had special kids like me. It's not like we thought, Dean. There are others out there, not just my age, but lots of people with different abilities that the Demon can use."

Sam straightened himself and began to pace the crowded room. "He came to me."

"What?" Dean sat up and frowned at his brother. "What are you talking about?"

Sam stopped and turned towards him. "He visited me in my dream. He took me back to that night of the fire at our house."

Dean shook his head. "I don't need to hear this, Sam."

"Yes, yes you do," Sam insisted. "When mom first came into the room, she was half-asleep and thought that the Demon was dad. But then she came back a few minutes later and…she knew who he was, Dean."

Dean's frown turned into a scowl. He really didn't want to hear this now. He was there. He remembered how his mother died.

"Mom knew who the Yellow Eyed Demon was," Sam repeated. "I don't know how but she did."

"How do you know that the Demon wasn't just messing with you?" Dean asked, his voice rising in anger. "Demon's lie all the time. He could have shown you whatever he wanted you to see."

"No. I don't think so," Sam defended.

"What about what Ash was calling about?" Jo suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to turn towards her. "He said that it was important. What if it has something to do with all of this?"

"The only way we can find out is if we go back to the Roadhouse," said Ellen.

"Alright then," Bobby piped up. "Why don't we all get a little rest before we head off in the morning? We're going to have to do some digging."

"Fine," Sam reluctantly conceded.

Everyone nodded in agreement and the sleeping arrangements were mapped out. Later that evening, after everyone had eaten and gone to bed, Jo sneaked down the stairs and out onto the back porch.

She huddled down on the wooden step as she thought about everything that had transpired in the past couple of days. That was when the tears she hadn't thought she had finally came. A broken sob escaped her throat as she thought about poor Ash who'd done nothing but help only to loose his life the way he did. She thought about the life that she took and despite the fact that she hadn't known him, still grieved his death.

"Can't sleep either?" A voice asked in the dark.

Jo startled, quickly wiping away her tears. "Jesus, Dean. You scared the crap out of me."

She could see his smirk in the dim light of the moon. "Funny. I usually don't have that effect on women," he said.

Jo turned away from him and wrapped her arms around her thighs, staring out into the cluttered yard. She felt Dean take a seat beside her.

"Here. This usually helps," he said, offering her his flask.

Jo silently took it, tipping her head back as she took a swig. Somehow the familiar burn of whiskey down her throat managed to calm her enough so that her hands stopped shaking.

"It never goes away you know," Dean suddenly said.

"What doesn't?" Jo asked, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"The guilty feeling," Dean said. "It starts with your first kill and just continues on."

Jo took another swig from the flask before passing it back to him. "Gee, Dean. That's real comforting. Thanks for the advice," she said sarcastically.

Dean flashed her an irritated look before tipping his head back and taking a drink. "It doesn't go away but you learn to cope with it. It becomes part of you and shapes who you are and what you do. Look, Jo," he turned to face her bumping his knees against hers. "You can either let it pull you down or you can learn to channel it so that it makes you a better hunter. Because, for every bad thing that happens, there's also something good that comes out of it. It's just the way life goes," Dean shrugged.

In the dim light of the moon, Jo can see the sincerity in Dean's eyes. Gone was the smart assed hunter who didn't even want her tagging along. Instead, there sat Dean Winchester, the real Dean Winchester, the man who loved his brother and would lay his life down for his family. The man she glimpsed once sitting across from her at a kitchen in Philadelphia. Jo felt her heart ache a little more and she was forced to turn away from him before he could read the emotions currently playing across her face.

"Thanks for the drink," she said, pushing herself up off the porch. She couldn't linger any longer. It just hurt too damn much. "I guess I better head to bed."

She dusted off her jeans and headed for the door.

"Goodnight, Dean," she said before closing the door behind her.


End file.
